


Back to You

by SharkGirl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Future Keith/Lance - Freeform, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk/Shay (Voltron) - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Kissing, Lance & Blue Lion (Voltron) Bond, Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, M/M, Not Really Character Death, Pining, Spoilers, Time Travel, implied pining, klance, nearly kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 09:09:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12078012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: Lance swallowed, an icy feeling creeping up his spine. “Hey, so…whereisfuture me, anyway?” And judging by their reactions so far, he should have seen it coming.“I'm not sure how to say this.” Coran was the one to deliver the news. “He’s…or rather, you’re…dead.”





	Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> So, I got this idea and I pitched it to my beta and...well, the rest is history. It was supposed to be short, but it kept growing! I'm actually quite happy with how it turned out, though.
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely and talented Incognito4713 and read over by the fantastic Laura!  
> Please enjoy~

The last thing Lance remembered was spiraling out of control as Voltron was torn apart in the wormhole. He could still hear the others shouting in his helmet, screaming at him. After all, it had been his fault. And then there was a bright light, temporarily blinding him, before everything went dark.

When Lance awoke, everything hurt. His face was pressed against cool metal and one of his arms was squished under his body and had fallen asleep. But, other than that, he felt okay. Nothing was broken. That was good.

He quickly assessed the situation. He wasn’t in his lion. Okay, he’d file that under ‘not good.’ But he appeared to be on a ship. In fact, if he didn’t know any better, he’d say he was in the Castle of Lions. But if he was, he was in a room he’d never seen before. Because _their_ hangar wasn’t filled with nearly so many alien ships.

Lance had just pulled himself up off of the floor, his left arm being assaulted by pins and needles as blood began to flow there, when the doors to the hangar slid open with a ‘swoosh.’

“Don’t move!” a deep, though familiar voice shouted at him.

Not wanting to take any chances – he’d been to enough realities to know that not everything was as it seemed – he held up his hands, his left arm still tingling. He opened his mouth, ready to explain who he was and maybe figure out how he got there, but he was cut off.

“Lance?”

He looked up. The person who’d charged in was wearing black paladin armor. His right arm, which had been lit up a bright purple, powered down as he removed his helmet, his eyes never leaving Lance’s.

“Lance, is that you?”

“Shiro?” He blinked. Well, of _course_ it was Shiro. But he looked…different. Older, maybe, but definitely tired with gaunt cheeks and more scars than Lance remembered him having – and all he could see was his face. “What’s going on?”

Shiro lowered his helmet, ready to answer, but the doors slid open again and another familiar person ran in, clad in red.

“Shiro, I got the alert. Who-” but Keith froze, dropping his Bayard, his sword clattering to the ground. “Lance?” He, too, removed his helmet, revealing a ponytail. And Lance didn’t know what reality this was, but older Keith was _hot_! That just wasn’t fair.

“We should tell the others,” Shiro said, shooting Keith a look, but Keith’s gaze was still on Lance, intense and so heavy with emotion that Lance was thankful when Shiro placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder, drawing his attention away.

The two didn’t say much as he led Lance down the familiar halls of the castle ship. There were subtle differences, though. Nothing that would jump out to just anyone, but dings here and there, scratches. Little details that only a person who’d spent nearly every waking hour there would catch.

When they walked out onto the bridge, it was an odd sight. Allura was at her spot in the center, but she wasn’t facing the screen. She was looking his way, eyes wide, like she’d seen a ghost. Of course, it was probably weird to see a younger version of one of your paladins walking around. Heck, Keith hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off him.

Allura was older, too. And, man, had the years been kind. She was prettier than ever. There was a scar across her brow, thin at one end and wider at the other, the point of impact looking almost like a star. “Lance…” she breathed. “How can this be?”

“I know, I know.” Lance stepped forward, feeling everyone’s gazes on him. “It’s strange seeing young me after all these years.” He paused. “What year is it in this reality, anyway?” he asked. It had never occurred to him that realities could take place years apart. He understood them to be more or less on the same timeline. So, this was odd. He couldn’t wait to tell Pidge when he got back.

 _If_ he got back. But he didn’t want to think about that right now.

“It’s been five years,” Hunk said and Lance nearly lost it. Keith looked hot – Shiro, too, of course – but Hunk was something else.

“Dude!” he walked over, taking him in. “You’re ripped!” Hunk had the same build, but it was obvious that he’d been taking his training seriously. His arms, which were strong before, were ridiculous. He had a few scars, too, and it only served to make him look even more handsome. “I can’t wait to see what future me looks like.”

“Lance,” Pidge began and, once again, Lance was floored. Pidge had let their hair grow and it was braided down their back. They, too, looked stronger, though their muscles were on the leaner side.

“Okay, seriously. We’ve got Hunk the hunk, Pidge the kick-ass warrior, and,” he paused, turning to Coran, who had moved to wrap an arm around Allura’s shoulders. “And Coran the gorgeous man.” He winked at him, but was surprised when the other didn’t laugh or even really react at all. “Okay,” Lance faltered for a moment before turning back toward the other paladins. “So, what’s future me up to? Am I like a surfer dude body builder? Ooh! Or an actual ninja sharpshooter?” He chuckled, but his laughter petered out when the others failed to join in. “Guys?”

“Lance.” It was Hunk who spoke, his eyes wet and his lower lip quivering.

Lance swallowed, an icy feeling creeping up his spine. “Hey, so…where _is_ future me, anyway?” And judging by their reactions so far, he should have seen it coming.

“I'm not sure how to say this.” Coran was the one to deliver the news. “He’s…or rather, you’re…dead.”

And whether it was an alternate reality or not, the shock, combined with his earlier loss of consciousness, proved to be too much. And before he could utter anything in reply, Lance was falling, darkness closing in once again.

 

When Lance awoke, it had to have only been a few ticks later. Someone was cradling him in their arms. It felt nice. His eyelids fluttered open and he saw several concerned faces hovering just above him, the closest being Keith’s. A unanimous look of relief washed over the group and the grip around Lance grew the slightest bit tighter.

“You’re okay,” Keith said.

“Yeah.” Lance tried to sit up, albeit shakily, and brought a hand to his head. “I mean, all things considered.”

“I’m sorry. That must have come as a shock,” Allura apologized.

“Tactless on my part,” Coran added, face full of shame. “I hope you’ll forgive me, my boy.”

“Hey, you know I can’t stay mad at you.” Lance laughed and then winced. His head hurt.

“Try not to move around too much,” Pidge instructed. “Keith caught you in time, but you may have a concussion from your previous fall.”

That’s right. Lance had landed on his head when he first crashed into this reality. This weird reality where they were five years in the future…and Lance was dead. Yup. Fun one.

Wait. Did they just say ‘Keith’ caught him?

Lance turned his head and followed the path up from the arm that held him to the person it belonged to. Keith looked back, his dark eyes full of that same odd emotion they showed back in the hangar. “Lance-” he started, but Lance placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back.

“Hey, I think I can stand now,” he blurted, trying to ignore the rapid beating of his heart. It wasn’t his fault, of course. Future Keith was just so stupidly attractive.

“I’d still like to take a look at you,” Pidge insisted.

“Oh, cool. So, you’re, like, a doctor in this reality?” Lance asked and was surprised when the others simply exchanged worried glances. “What?”

“I can’t be one hundred percent sure,” Pidge began. “But when you appeared, our sensors didn’t pick up the usual abnormalities that coincide with reality jumps.”

Lance blinked. “Okay…” He looked around for help, his gaze falling on Hunk. “Translation, please?”

“Pidge thinks,” Hunk began, chewing on his bottom lip. “Pidge thinks that you’re from _this_ reality.”

Lance just raised his brows. “All right, interesting theory.” He gave a quick bob of his head. “But, I have a few concerns. One,” he held up his index finger, “I know I was just in my own reality where you’re all five years younger,” he stated. “Two, how am I alive if your Lance is supposed to be dead?” he added. “And three…what?”

“I’ll need to run some tests, but I’m fairly certain that you’re _our_ Lance, just…” Pidge shrugged. “Younger.”

“But you said I _died_ ,” Lance stressed. “I mean, I’m no scientist, but…I’m pretty sure there’s no coming back from that.”

“We don’t know if you died,” Shiro spoke up. “We were on a mission and we all got separated,” he explained. “You were piloting Red and flew through the side of the wormhole.”

Wow, that sounded familiar.

“We were able to track your location,” Allura added. “But when he found Red…” she trailed off, eyes downcast.

“What?” Lance drew his brows down. “Where was I?”

“That’s just it,” Pidge answered. “You were nowhere.”

“Wait wait wait.” Lance held a hand up. “You find my lion and no me and you just _assume_ I’m dead?” He frowned. “We’ve been through this before.” His gaze flicked over to Shiro. “Did it ever occur to you to keep looking?”

“Don’t you think we _tried_?!” Keith roared, startling them all.

Lance recovered quickly, standing up to his full height which, embarrassingly, was now a few inches shorter than the other. “Oh, you _tried_ , did you?” he countered, puffing his chest out and getting in Keith’s face. “Well, you obviously didn’t try hard enough, since future me is still missing!”

“Lance.” Shiro reached out for him, but Lance smacked his hand away.

“I appreciate it, Shiro, I do. But you didn’t see how Keith was when you weren’t around,” he said. “The only reason he didn’t find me is because he didn’t want to.”

“Lance.” This time it was Hunk. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, man.”

“Don’t I?” Lance snapped. He gestured toward Keith. “This guy tore the universe apart looking for Shiro-”

“ _Lance_ ,” Shiro cut in. “I understand that you’re upset. But to be fair, _you_ didn’t see how Keith was when _you_ weren’t around either.”

Lance faltered, still angry that he’d been assumed dead, but unable to argue. Shiro had a point.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he looked around the room, at all the older faces of his closest friends. “I’m sorry,” he said, purposely avoiding Keith’s gaze. He wasn’t ready to face him yet. “I’m still trying to take this all in.”

“I know, buddy,” Hunk sighed, his face softening. He walked over and gave him a bear hug, careful not to squeeze too tightly, as Pidge reminded him that they still needed to check for injuries. He pulled back, looking down at Lance fondly. “I’m so glad to have you back.”

“We all are,” Coran added, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “It’s been really quiet around here without you.”

Lance wasn’t sure if this was his reality or not, but this definitely seemed like it. These paladins really felt like his team. He didn’t know what had happened in that wormhole, but hopefully Pidge would be able to figure that out. And maybe, just maybe, they’d find a way to get him back to his own time.

But something still bothered him, even as Pidge, Hunk, and Coran led him toward the medical bay. If this _was_ his reality and he _did_ make it back to his time…was he still going to disappear?

 

The tests were pretty routine. Lance had gotten a few concussions as kid, usually from playing soccer and once from beach volleyball. He did, however, find it odd, and rather painful, when Pidge suddenly ripped out several of his hairs.

“Oww! Pidge, what the cheese?!” he complained, rubbing at the now sore spot. “What’d you do that for?”

“I told you,” Pidge began, dropping the hairs into a test tube. “I have a theory.”

“Yeah,” Lance said, lowering his hand to the back of his neck. “You think I’m this reality’s Lance.” He cleared his throat. “Still not sure if I believe that.”

“It makes a lot of sense, considering…” But Hunk trailed off when Pidge shot him a look. “Anyway, Coran’s been gone for a while, huh?”

“Why don’t you go see if he needs any help?” Pidge suggested, though it sounded more like an order. Hunk nodded and stood up, heading toward the door.

“I think I’ll join him-” Lance began, but Pidge held a hand up.

“Nope. You’re staying put,” they said. “I need a few more samples.”

Lance groaned and Hunk sent him an apologetic glance before he walked out of the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

Several pinches, prods, and pokes later, Lance was released. Pidge waved him off, mumbling something about getting to the bottom of it before bringing up multiple screens worth of data.

He wanted to ask some questions, but judging by the way they’d shut Hunk up earlier, they probably wouldn’t tell him much. Plus, Lance had seen Butterfly Effect. And if he was _their_ Lance, anything they told him could potentially alter the entire timeline. Then again, maybe he’d live – or not disappear or whatever – and that would be pretty sweet.

Pidge continued to ignore his presence and, deciding that was his cue to leave, Lance walked over to the door, placing his hand against the sensor. He was just about to step into the hallway when something blocked his path. Or, more specifically, some _one_.

“Oh.” It was future Keith, or, Lance supposed, he could just call him Keith. He was in _his_ timeline, after all. “How’s your head?” Keith asked, looking almost sheepish, despite his slightly bigger build and chiseled jaw and—

“It’s fine,” Lance answered quickly, averting his gaze. Stupid sexy future Keith.

In his periphery, Keith visibly relaxed. “That’s good.”

They stood there in silence for a moment before Pidge raised their voice, not bothering to look away from the screens. “Are you just going to loiter halfway in the room all day?”

“Ah, right.” Keith cleared his throat and Lance looked up just in time to catch a faint blush on his cheeks. But he didn’t say anything else.

“So…” Lance began, shifting his weight on the balls of his feet. “Did you need Pidge for something, or…?”

“No!” Keith’s head snapped up. “I mean…no. I didn’t, um…” He brought a hand up and messed with his low ponytail, a nervous habit which Lance found surprisingly adorable from the now-older man.

“Keith!” Pidge shouted, finally turning away from their work. “Spit it out, already. Your awkward flirting is making it impossible for me to concentrate.”

“Fl-” Keith began and then shook his head, frowning. “I’m not—I was just,” he paused, looking away. “I was just coming to check on Lance.”

“Wow.” Lance’s eyebrows shot up. “My Keith would never admit to worrying about me.” Then he corrected himself. “Past Keith, I mean.” Because, frankly, referring to any Keith as ‘his’ just didn’t seem right. Plus, the mere thought elicited a strange response. So, pushing down the weird fluttery feeling in his chest, Lance continued, “Well, as you can see, I’m okay.” He held his arms out, inviting the other to inspect him.

“Looks like it,” Keith replied, dark gaze raking over Lance’s form before meeting his eyes. That emotion was there again, so intense that it caused Lance’s breath to catch.

“Will you two get out, already?” Pidge complained, moving data from one screen to another before tossing unnecessary files into the virtual recycle bin.

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind going for a walk,” Lance said. “Maybe take a tour of the castle. Ya know, see how much it’s changed in the past five years?”

Keith smiled at that and, wow, okay, so that was something. “If you want, I can take you,” he suggested.

“Aww, isn’t that adorable!” Pidge made their way over, placing a hand on both their backs and shoving them out of the door. “Now, give me some peace, will you?” Then they paused. “Make sure not to do too much, Lance,” they instructed. “You’ve only got a minor concussion, but you’ve been through a lot.”

“Gotcha.” He gave a mock salute and they frowned.

“I’m serious.” Pidge crossed their arms over their chest. “It might be best if you just rest for now.”

“What? Seriously?” Lance deflated. He was actually looking forward to checking out what new features the castle ship had acquired in the half a decade that had passed. “And wait a tick. I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to sleep when you have a concussion. I think I’d know.”

“And after looking at your brain activity,” Pidge began and then snickered before adding, “What little there was-”

“Hey!”

“I deem bedrest completely acceptable. Nay, essential.” Future Pidge was still shorter than Lance, but they had this air of authority about them. “Go on. Keith can take you to your room.”

“My…room?” Lance blinked. Even though he’d only just been in his room the day before, in this reality – or time or whatever – he’d been gone for five years. Did he even still have a room?

“Yeah.” Pidge gave them another shove into the hallway. “Now, go rest. I’ll know if you don’t,” they added and, with a little wave, they slid the door shut.

“Future Pidge is scary,” Lance said and Keith nodded. Of course, he wanted to add that Pidge, in any timeline, could be pretty frightening, but the moment he turned toward the other, the words got stuck in his throat. Keith was smiling again, chuckling, and he just looked so…

“Well, let’s get you to your room,” Keith said, turning that smile on him and causing Lance to suddenly become very interested in his own boots.

They walked down the halls in silence, Lance sneaking peeks at the older version of his rival. He was different. Calmer. Sure, he’d lost his temper on the bridge, but Lance had sort of egged him on. Speaking of which…

“Hey, about earlier,” Lance began. “I’m sorry for, ya know, saying that you didn’t look for me.”

Keith stopped walking and Lance thought he’d made a mistake until the other spoke. “I never gave up hope,” he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. “None of us did. We…we were able to form Voltron without you, but we were just going through the motions.”

Lance was taken aback. He didn’t realize his disappearance would have such an effect on the rest of the team. When Shiro went missing, sure, but Lance?

“It was like we’d lost our heart,” Keith said and then, half a tick later, his face turned bright red. “Anyway, let’s get you to your room.”

Lance didn’t fight the grin that threatened to split his face as he followed the other down the familiar path to his bedroom. Keith stopped in front of the door, as if hesitant to open it. And then Lance realized that he was being polite. It _was_ Lance’s room, after all.

He stepped in front of Keith and placed his hand over the sensor. The door slid open and Lance gaped. His room was exactly as he’d left it, from the fuzzy blue lion slippers near the foot of his bed, to his alphabetized collection of moisturizers on his desk – well, he was pretty sure they were in alphabetical order, some of their names were written in unfamiliar alien languages.

Lance walked inside, just taking it all in. There was a strange sense of sterility hanging in the air, obviously because no one had lived there in the five years he’d been gone, but it was still most definitely his room.

“Is it okay?” Keith asked and Lance turned toward him, quirking a brow.

“What are you talking about? It’s perfect!” He twirled around and fell heavily onto his bed, not bothering to remove his armor. “I figured you guys would have packed my stuff up or something.” He waited for Keith to respond and, when he didn’t, he propped himself up on his elbows. Keith was looking at the ground again. “Keith?”

Just then there was a knock at the door.

“Come in!” Lance called, eyes never leaving Keith’s profile.

“Ah, I thought you’d be in here.” It was Shiro. He looked better than before. Less tired. He stepped inside, sparing Keith a quick glance before returning his focus to Lance. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. I think.” Lance chuckled. “Still trying to get used to being in the future or whatever is going on,” he offered.

“I can only imagine,” Shiro replied.

“Well, I’m sure a younger version of one of your paladins showing up after being assumed dead for five years comes pretty close on the weirdness scale.” Lance smiled up at him and Shiro returned the sentiment. “So, you were looking for us?”

“Keith, actually,” Shiro corrected. “But I’m glad I found both of you. Saves me a second trip.”

“You were looking for Keith…in my room?” Lance raised a brow.

Instead of answering, Shiro just cleared his throat and changed the subject. “You boys hungry? Hunk and Coran said lunch will be ready soon.” At that, Lance’s stomach gave an audible growl, causing Shiro to chuckle.

As they walked toward the dining room, Lance’s head was on a swivel, taking in everything he could. The castle ship hadn’t undergone too many changes, but there were slight differences here and there and he didn’t want to miss a thing.

He stopped, however, when he felt the mental pull of not one, but two entities. A low, agitated, and rather anxious growl permeated through his entire being.

“Lance?” Keith’s voice drew him out of it. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” he replied, his eyelids fluttering open. “But, do you think we could make a pit stop before lunch?”

Shiro and Keith exchanged glances, but nodded.

 

Lance practically burst into Blue’s hangar. And, somehow, he wasn’t surprised to see that Red was there, too. They both turned his way the moment he stepped in, their eyes glowing a soft yellow. A mixture of frustration and relief washed over him as the lions assessed him.

Blue let out a worried little purr and Lance gave her a reassuring smile, closing the distance between them and placing a hand on her enormous paw. “Yeah, I missed you, too, Beautiful.”

A short, low growl erupted from beside him and Lance chuckled as he turned to face Red. “You, too, Speedy.”

He’d been piloting Red when he crashed. It had only been a few hours earlier that he’d been seated in her cockpit, yet it felt like ages. And these two – he glanced between the lions – well, they hadn’t seen him in half a decade. That probably wasn’t much for them, considering they were millennia old, but still…they’d obviously missed him.

“I haven’t seen them this happy in a long time,” Keith said, pulling Lance from his reverie. “The others can probably hear them purring all the way upstairs.”

Lance grinned at him, wide and unabashed. It was weird being in a different time, but it was nice to know that his ladies still loved him.

A second later, Shiro appeared, looking a little winded. “You two sure took off,” he panted. He quickly recovered, but not before Keith got a jab in.

“Sorry. Were we too quick for you, Old Man?” he teased.

“Hey, man,” Lance interrupted. “It’s only been five years. So, Shiro’s like…what?” He ticked off on his fingers. “Thirty?” He shrugged. “Still young in my book.”

“Thank you, Lance,” Shiro said, smiling fondly. Keith muttered something under his breath and Shiro shot him a knowing look. “Don’t be jealous, Keith.”

“Yeah, and you’re, like…twenty-two, Keith?” Lance asked, trying to ease the tension in the air.

“Almost twenty-four,” Shiro answered for him.

“Wait.” Lance held a hand up. “Wait just a minute. Keith.” He turned toward him. “You’re _older_ than me?”

“Uh…yeah?” Keith offered. “I mean, I think we’ve already established that.”

“No, I don’t mean now!” Lance sighed and rolled his eyes. “I mean, back then. We were in the same class! And my birthday is before yours!”

“Yeah, but I was born the year before you.” Keith shrugged. “I thought you knew that.”

“Always ahead of me in everything, aren’t you?” Lance said incredulously, but there was no malice in his tone. “Amazing.”

Just then, there was another loud growl. Only, this time, it wasn’t from either of the lions. It was Lance’s stomach again.

“Think Red and Blue will let you go long enough to eat some lunch?” Shiro asked, peering up at the giant cats. Blue tilted her head to the side, letting out a low rumble of a purr as she ducked down to nuzzle Lance, nearly knocking him over. Red just lifted her head, resetting her paws and looking down at Lance, as if granting him permission.

“Thanks,” Lance said appreciatively. “I promise I’ll come back later, okay?”

“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep,” Keith said, almost too quietly for Lance to catch. But when Lance looked his way, he said nothing further and only turned to walk out of the hangar.

Shiro slapped a hand on Lance’s shoulder, drawing his attention. “I think you’re going to like what Hunk and Coran have whipped up,” he said and Lance’s stomach gurgled in anticipation.

 

Lance gaped when he walked into the dining room. The table was loaded with plate after plate of Lance’s favorite dishes, including a huge basket of garlic knots. He could have sobbed with joy. “H-How?” he managed, his mouth watering.

“Learned a few tricks while you were gone,” Hunk answered, placing a large hand on his shoulder. “And don’t worry, I only let Coran do the prep work.”

“I heard that!” the mustachioed man replied as he stepped into the room, carrying two more trays piled high.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Lance began, eyeing the amazing amount of food. “But it’s not like I haven’t _eaten_ in five years,” he said. “This might be a bit much.”

“Well, it’s not just for us,” Hunk replied and, as if on cue, several others made their way into the room. Among them were Pidge’s older brother Matt who, in Lance’s time, they’d only just found. And, more surprising, Shay.

Lance side-eyed Hunk, gently elbowing him in the ribs as he smirked. “I see your girlfriend lives here now.”

“Uh…wife, actually,” Hunk corrected, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re married?!” Lance shouted and then immediately lowered his voice when everyone looked their way. “I mean,” he blinked, “Congratulations, man! I’m…I’m so happy for you!” Lance gave him a hug and then pulled back. “How long?”

“It’ll be two years next month,” he said, cheeks glowing.

“Two years…” Lance repeated. “I can’t believe I missed it.” Then his eyes went wide. “Wait. So, who was your best man, then? Don’t say Keith.”

Hunk snorted and shook his head. “It was sort of a collaborative effort,” he answered. “Of course, we left a place for you.” He gave a sad smile. “A seat at the head table.”

Lance tried his best to swallow around the lump in his throat. Even after he’d been gone for three years, his friends had still remembered him. Thought of him. Even now, they’d still hoped he’d come back. It was too much.

“Lance,” Shay’s voice was soft, but cheerful. “How good it is to see you!”

“Good to see you, too,” he said, turning and quickly wiping his eyes. “And, I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Oh.” A soft glow appeared on her cheeks. They _would_ be the kind of couple to still be all cute and blushy even after almost two years of marriage. Cute. “Thank you.”

Hunk sidled over, wrapping an arm around Lance’s shoulders and steering him toward the table. “All right, let’s get you fed before it gets cold.” Lance laughed, but allowed himself to be led to the head of the table. “Attention!” Hunk called. “The man of the hour is here!”

“The man of the hour?” Lance quirked a brow, but Hunk just smiled and continued.

“You can all hound him later, but for now, let the boy eat,” he announced and then moved to take his seat beside Shay.

When Lance looked away from the older version of his best friend and toward the rest of the table, he was surprised to see all eyes on him. There were plenty of familiar faces, save for Pidge, who must still have been working in the medical bay. But there were people he didn’t recognize, as well. More resistance fighters, he realized. That explained the hangar full of alien ships.

Shiro stood up and cleared his throat, lifting his glass. “I know we rarely get a chance to celebrate victories,” he began, his gaze moving from seat to seat. “But I think the return of our lost paladin, against all odds, is certainly worth taking the time.” He raised his glass toward Lance. “Welcome home, Lance.”

“Welcome home!” the others cheered, including those Lance had never met. It seemed his reputation had preceded him. And there it was, that lump in his throat again. He hid his expression behind his glass, draining it, before he faced the room.

“Thanks,” he managed sheepishly. Then Lance was assaulted by the tantalizing aroma of garlic knots and he glanced down to see the basket hovering just under his nose. Keith, who had taken the seat beside him, he was holding it, offering a little smile when Lance met his gaze. “Thanks,” he repeated, and took one.

It was an amazing feast. Hunk and Coran had really outdone themselves. He wasn’t sure how they’d managed to replicate all of his favorite foods, given what little ingredients were available in space. Then again, it had been five years. Maybe they’d found a planet with plants and animals similar to Earth’s. Or maybe…

“Hey, did we ever make it home?” Lance asked suddenly, interrupting Keith mid-bite. It seemed like the rest of the table hadn’t heard him, since Shiro was still explaining to Allura what _maduros_ were and Hunk was still goofily flirting with Shay.

“Back to Earth?” Keith asked and Lance nodded. “I’m…not supposed to, uh…” he trailed off, offering an apologetic little shrug.

“What? Reveal the future?” Lance frowned. “Haven’t I heard enough by now? What could a little spoiler hurt?”

“It’s a precaution,” Pidge said from right behind them, causing Lance to nearly jump out of his seat.

“Pidge, holy crow!” he cursed. “Don’t _do_ that!”

“Anyway, it’s a good thing I told them not to say anything, just in case,” they said, holding up a tablet-like device with text too small for Lance to read even at the close distance. “I was right.”

“You were?” It was Shiro. Apparently, Lance’s outburst had caught the attention of the other paladins.

“So, he _is_ our Lance, right?” Hunk asked, looking hopeful, and Lance’s heart clenched at the sight.

“He’s definitely from our reality,” Pidge answered with certainty. “And the timing, as you know, works out perfectly.”

Now, Lance had heard that before. Hunk had started to say something like that earlier, hadn’t he? He opened his mouth to ask, but the others went on.

“Do you think Lotor knows?” Allura asked.

Okay, well that answered that question. Apparently they were still fighting the Galra prince even now. But, ending a ten thousand year old war didn’t happen overnight.

“What if he was behind it?” Keith added, looking unbelievably upset. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“He never mentioned anything when we interrogated him,” Shiro replied.

Whoa? They’d captured Lotor at some point? Cool!

“Guys!” Pidge said, finally noticing Lance’s interest. “Zip it, will ya?”

They all looked at Lance rather guiltily.

“Aww, c’mon, guys!” he whined. “You can’t keep teasing me like this!”

“It’s for your own good,” Pidge replied. “The less you know, the better.”

“But what if it could save my life?” Lance argued and the others exchanged glances before all eyes fell on Keith. But Pidge was the one to respond.

“We’ve discussed that, but…” They shook their head. “Lance, please understand. We don’t know what could happen.”

“Yeah. I understand.” Suddenly, Lance wasn’t hungry anymore, the delicious food now lying heavy in his stomach. “I think. I think I need to go for a walk.” And before anyone could object, he excused himself from the table and made his way back toward the hangar.

He couldn’t blame them. If they accidentally let something really important slip, it could mess with the space time continuum – if he was to believe any of the time travel movies he’d seen. Obviously, they would prefer that he hadn’t disappeared that day. But still, it hurt to be kept out of the loop.

Without realizing it, Lance had taken a wrong turn, probably a force of habit, and he was now on the bridge, the huge window before him, showing the wide expanse of space. Was he somewhere out there? If he went back to his time, would he meet the same fate as their Lance? Would he never make it back home?

He sat down in his seat, or maybe it was Allura’s now, he didn’t know, and sighed, letting his eyes slip closed as he leaned his head back. He heard the clicking of boots before the other could speak. “I get it, Pidge. You don’t have to explain it to me.”

“Hey, man.”

Lance blinked and sat up. He turned around and saw Keith standing there, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Oh, it’s you. What’s up?”

“I know it must be frustrating,” Keith began and Lance snorted.

“That’s an understatement, but yeah.” He shook his head. “It just sucks since, ya know, I won’t ever know.” Keith furrowed his brow and Lance elaborated. “You know, since I don’t have a future.”

“Don’t say that!” Keith walked forward, a pained look on his face. “Lance, that’s not true.”

“But it is! I mean, c’mon.” He stood up and threw his arms out. “Pidge proved it, didn’t they? I’m _your_ Lance, which means, guess what? I’m dead!”

“We don’t _know_ that,” Keith pleaded with him. “You said it yourself. You might still be out there.”

“And what if I’m not?” Lance asked. “What then? Huh? I go back to my time and just wait until I disappear?” He balled his fists. “Or, hey, maybe I won’t be able to go back at all. Maybe I’m stuck here-” he stopped, realization hitting him. “Hey, when did I disappear?”

And Keith must have realized it, too. “Five years ago…today.” Keith wet his lips, looking both nervous and excited. “Do you think…” Keith began.

“That when I disappeared, it was because I came here?” Lance finished for him.

“That was one of my theories, yes,” Pidge said from the doorway, the rest of the team behind them. “The timing works out perfectly and that explains why we could never locate you, no matter the reality.”

Guilt washed over Lance then. He’d nearly forgotten that his team had never given up hope. That they’d continued searching for him all this time. “So…what now?”

“We send you back,” Pidge said simply.

“You can do that?” Shiro asked, blinking in surprise.

“Not as of this moment, but-”

“Wait a minute,” Keith interjected. “What if it doesn’t work?”

“I’m with Keith,” Hunk joined in. “What if Lance ends up in the wrong time or something goes wrong?”

“Obviously, I’d test it first,” Pidge replied, grinding their teeth. “Do you think I’d risk losing him again?!”

And there it was once more, that lump in the back of Lance’s throat. He’d been so foolish to think that, even for a moment, his team hadn’t taken him into consideration. He blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Pidge, we know you’ll do your best,” Allura said. “Please let us know what you require to get him back safely.”

“Well, first, I’ll need to speak with Lance,” they said and Lance, who had finally regained his composure, walked over.

“I’ll help in any way I can.”

 

Pidge led Lance to the green lion’s hangar, their favorite place to work. There were holo screens everywhere, the digital equivalent of open notebooks on every surface. Lance figured it wasn’t sensitive material and, even if it was, he couldn’t read the alien languages.

“Okay,” Pidge said, settling themselves in front of one of the screens. “Tell me everything you remember from our – _your_ last mission.”

Lance took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. He hadn’t hit his head that hard, but a lot had happened since he’d flown through the side of the wormhole. “Okay,” he said. “We’d formed Voltron and were in hot pursuit,” he chuckled at that and Pidge rolled their eyes. “Yeah, sorry. Anyway, we were chasing Lotor and he created a wormhole, so, ya know, we didn’t want him to get away, so we had the castle try to hold it open until we could get through.”

“Hold it open…” Pidge mused. “But the castle doesn’t have that capability. It must have-” They sucked in a breath. “That’s it!”

“What’s it?” Lance asked, confused. “And don’t you want to hear the rest?”

“Nope. That’s all I needed,” Pidge said, typing away. “You go run and play. I’ll call you when it’s done.”

Stunned, Lance obeyed. He was still recovering from his shock when he ran into Shiro and Matt in the hallway. “Hey, Lance,” Matt greeted. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Uh, yeah.” He offered a weak smile in reply.

“Is Pidge already finished with you?” Shiro asked, a mixture of curiosity and concern on his face.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t go in there, if I were you,” he said. “You know how they get when they’re in the zone.”

“Oh boy, do we,” Matt said, giving Shiro a look.

“Did you want to continue your tour of the castle?” Shiro offered, but Lance shook his head.

“Actually, I think I’d like to lie down for a little bit,” he admitted. It had been a hectic and rather nerve-wracking day, and a cat nap was just what the doctor ordered. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.” They nodded, Shiro sparing him one last lingering glance before they continued walking down the hallway.

 

Lance shouldn’t have been surprised when his door slid open and he found Keith sitting on the floor of his room.

“Forget which room was yours?” he asked, startling the other.

“Oh, Lance, hey.” Keith looked up at him sheepishly though his bangs. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

“That’s right,” Lance mused. “Shiro did come to my room to find you earlier.” He rubbed his chin. “I wonder why that is…”

“I, uh…come here to think, sometimes,” Keith confessed.

“You come _here_ to think?” Lance blinked. “To your missing teammate’s old room?” He frowned. “Why?”

“Remember back when Shiro was missing and I was forced to lead Voltron?” Keith asked, not getting up from the floor. Lance nodded. “You may not have realized it then, but you gave me a lot of good advice.”

“Well, that certainly sounds like me,” Lance snickered.

“So, when you disappeared,” Keith sighed, “I guess I just…found it easier to come in here and…talk to you.”

“Cuz of my advice?” Lance asked, all teasing gone from his tone.

“And because…I missed you.” Keith looked up, his dark eyes filled with that same emotion that made Lance’s pulse race and his cheeks grow warm. “I replayed that mission over and over in my head,” he admitted. “Trying to figure out what I’d done wrong.”

“What _you’d_ done wrong?” Lance raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you mean what _I_ did wrong?” He shook his head. “I mean, I’m the one who thought it was a good idea to form the sword and try to attack while we were still in the wormhole.”

“I could have stopped you.”

“And it wasn’t your fault that we broke apart and all went spiraling in every direction because of it,” Lance continued. “Honestly, if anyone deserved to disappear, it was me.”

“Don’t say that!” Keith snapped, finally standing up. “You made an error in judgement. We’ve all been there! You didn’t deserve to…” he trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

Lance’s jaw dropped, but then he smiled. “Wow, you certainly have grown up, haven’t you, Hot Head?” Keith didn’t answer. “Hey, I think Pidge has it all figured out,” he changed the subject. “And then I’ll be back home and maybe…maybe your Lance will-”

“You _are_ my Lance,” Keith interrupted, his brows drawn together. He stepped closer, lifting a hand, but hesitating. “I can’t believe my last words to you were, _‘Look what you did’_ ,” he sighed, shaking his head.

“Technically, they were _‘Damn it, Lance!’_ Unless you thought I didn’t hear that,” he said, stepping forward and letting Keith brush the backs of his fingers along his jaw. It felt odd, but not unpleasant. “Hey, we’re going to fix this. Has Pidge ever failed us before?”

Suddenly, Keith’s face was extremely close. Lance could see every tiny scar and the beginnings of stubble on the older man’s chin. “But what if they make a mistake?” he breathed.

“They won’t,” Lance promised, though he had nothing to back it up.

Keith moved in closer and Lance’s heart fluttered in his chest. “I should have confessed back then, before I lost you,” Keith sighed. “What if I never see you again?”

“You will.” He answered automatically and then swallowed thickly, trying to process what the other had just said. “You’ll get to see your Lance and-”

“I told you,” Keith whispered, pressing their foreheads together and kicking Lance’s pulse into overdrive. “You _are_ my Lance.” He cupped his cheek and Lance’s breath caught in his throat as Keith closed the distance between them. He was going to kiss him. But before he had the chance, Lance reached a hand up, pressing the tips of his fingers against Keith’s lips.

“And I told you, I’m not,” Lance said, hating the way Keith’s face crumpled. “Hey, hey, don’t be like that,” he soothed. “Your Lance is five years older and probably has sweet scars and, who knows, an undercut? I could rock that, right?”

Keith chuckled and his warm breath fanned against Lance’s fingers.

“I’m not your Lance now, but I will be, so…wait for me, okay?” Lance traced along Keith’s jaw and the older man nodded, leaning down to rest his forehead on Lance’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe I just lost my cool in front of someone five years younger than me,” Keith sighed, warming the fabric of his undershirt.

“Hey, aren’t I, like, almost six years younger?” he offered and Keith groaned. Lance chuckled, but his heartbeat hadn’t slowed. He couldn’t believe his teammate and rival had just confessed that he liked him, even back in his own time. Well, _his_ Keith was certainly going to get a talking to when he got home.

If he got home.

“Anyway.” Lance cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how long Pidge is going to take and, as much as I wanted that nap…” he sighed. “You wanna come with me to chat with Red and Blue?”

Keith pulled back and gave him a soft smile. “I’d love to.”

Lance’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, his Keith was _definitely_ going to get it when he got home.

 

Their date with the lions – which was definitely not how Lance saw it, by the way – ended up getting interrupted before it even began. Pidge needed Keith to go pick something up – something about him having the fastest lion – which answered Lance’s question of what the new paladin distribution was with him out of the picture. So, he walked to Blue’s hangar by himself.

In his time, he was still piloting Red. Of course, deep down, he knew that they’d all rotate again. And Blue had always been his number one girl.

“Hey there, Gorgeous,” he greeted and she purred in response, lowering her head and stretching her arms out in front of her just like a real cat. Lance chuckled and placed a hand on one of her paws. “Sorry it took me a while to get back after lunch,” he apologized. “But Pidge found a way to get me back home.”

Blue let out a displeased sounding noise, almost like a whimper.

“I know.” He gave her paw a pat. “I’m going to miss you, too. But don’t worry,” he assured, “If all goes according to plan, it’ll be like I never left.”

The lion gave a deeper rumble and then lowered her head, opening her mouth and inviting him in.

“Well,” Lance drew back, accepting the invitation. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Blue’s cockpit hadn’t changed in the slightest. Of course, it hadn’t changed in the ten thousand years before she and Lance became partners and he figured, if it ain’t broke… But it was nice, homey, really. He liked piloting Red, but it always felt like he was borrowing someone else’s ride. They just didn’t connect the same way.

Lance fell into his chair and sighed happily. Even the seat was more comfortable, like it was made for him. He lifted a leg and propped it on one of the arms, angling his body so he was draped over the other. He closed his eyes. This was the life.

Blue made another sound and Lance chuckled. “What do you mean, ‘what else’?” he asked, cracking an eye open. Blue urged him further. “Pidge getting me home is a pretty big deal.” Again, Blue pulled and he finally conceded. “Okay, okay, I get it.” Lance took a deep breath. “Keith and I almost kissed.” Blue perked up at that. “What? You want details?” He snorted. “You nosey little gossip.” Then he shook his head. “All right, but don’t you go telling Red. She’ll probably melt me.”

So, he told her about Keith’s confession, his face flushing red as he realized Blue could probably feel his heart thudding in his chest. It was so silly. This was Keith, for crying out loud. Sure, it was an older, more rugged, sexier version, but deep down, he was still…Keith.

Keith, who gave his all. Who always had Lance’s back. Who never gave up hope. Who searched for Lance for five years. Who, after a rough start – mostly Lance’s fault – had turned into someone Lance trusted and could rely on. Keith, who…liked him. Even in his own time.

Blue purred, quite pleased with herself.

“Quiet, you,” Lance chided and then laughed.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he’d plopped into his old seat, but, suddenly, the doors to the hangar opened and Lance nearly leapt from his chair, his pulse quickening. Was Keith back already? Then he realized what he’d just done and felt more than heard Blue laughing as his cheeks burned.

She opened up and he hopped out, though not before shooting his lion a look of mock annoyance. But when he turned, it wasn’t Keith he saw, but Shiro.

“Hey, there.” He waved. “Ready to go?”

“Now?” Lance asked incredulously.

“Hey, you know Pidge,” Shiro replied. “Now picture them with five years more experience.”

Well, Lance couldn’t argue with that.

“Let’s go. They’ve got a pod ready for you.”

 

Lance followed Shiro with mixed feelings. Though, trepidation seemed to be the most prominent. They rounded a few more corners and ended up in the main hangar, where Lance had landed upon his arrival.

“It’s simple,” Pidge explained to everyone, which consisted of the current paladin lineup, Coran, Shay, Matt, and, of course, Lance. “We create a wormhole with the second TeleDav that Keith picked up from the Blade of Marmora and then we’ll use the castle to form another just inside of it.”

“Simple,” Hunk repeated under his breath, giving Lance a gentle nudge with his elbow. Lance bit back a snicker.

“I believe that was the reason Lance was able to travel not just through space, but through time,” they went on. “Just like in the mission where he disappeared, we were chasing Lotor through the wormhole he created while trying to keep it open with what turned out to be a wormhole of our own.”

“So, it’s like…wormception?” Lance offered and Pidge gave him a look.

“If that helps you…”

“Having two wormholes overlapping is quite dangerous,” Coran chimed in. “They could easily destabilize.”

“Yes, and that’s what we want to happen,” Pidge informed them.

“What?” Keith frowned at them, uncrossing his arms and balling his fists at his sides. “That could tear him apart, Pidge.”

“If we do it wrong, yes.” They nodded. “But if he goes through the exact coordinates I give him, then-”

“Pidge, we’re all happy that you figured it out,” Shiro interrupted. “But this sounds extremely unsafe.”

“For an unskilled pilot, perhaps,” Pidge countered. “Luckily, we’ve got ourselves The Tailor.” They turned toward Lance. “Right?” There was no mocking in their tone and their smile was genuine.

Lance puffed his chest out with pride. “Darn right.”

“Lance, are you sure about this?” Hunk asked from beside him. “We can wait until you’ve had more time to recover-”

“There is no time,” Pidge argued. “He needs to go back today.”

“I’ve gone over the notes,” Matt added. “There is an extremely small window of opportunity. And if we miss it…” he trailed off, letting it sink in.

“Then we must act quickly,” Allura agreed. “Coran and I will head to the bridge to ready the ship’s wormhole.” She paused. “How will you create the first?”

“Actually, I was hoping we could borrow Coran, since only someone with Altean blood can activate it,” Pidge said. “Shiro will fly him out in the black lion equipped with the TeleDav.”

“You’ve really got this all planned out, huh?” Lance commended. “Nice work, Pidge.”

“You can appraise my efforts after it works,” they replied, giving a wide grin.

“Okay, so what do we do?” Hunk asked, gesturing toward himself, Shay, Matt, and Keith.

“Backup,” Pidge answered. “Or you can escort the princess to the bridge. I don’t really care.” Lance could see the hurt flicker in Hunk’s eyes, but they both knew that Pidge was stressed and neither said anything. “Okay, it’s go time. Everyone to their positions.”

Shiro and Coran took off for Black’s hangar, while Allura, Matt, Shay, and Hunk headed for the bridge, but not before Hunk wrapped Lance in a giant bear hug. “You got this, buddy.”

“Thanks, man.” Lance patted his arm and then sighed as he watched them go. Now only Pidge, Lance, and Keith remained.

“Okay,” Pidge said, eyes on their notes. “Once the wormholes are formed, I’m going to guide you.” They turned toward Lance. “It’s imperative that you follow my directions perfectly. There is no margin for error.”

“No pressure,” Lance joked.

“This is serious!” But it was Keith who spoke. Then he turned toward Pidge. “Can’t I just fly him out there?”

“Ouch. Way to believe in my piloting prowess, Keith,” Lance said, wounded.

“Not if you don’t want to end up five years in the past,” Pidge answered, ignoring Lance completely. “He just needs to go through where I tell him.”

Lance didn’t want them to argue. It seemed like time was limited and he didn’t want his last memories of them being a shouting match. “Hey,” he called, getting their attention. “I’m ready.”

Keith gave a solemn nod, but Pidge motioned for Lance to come over. “I have a few last-minute instructions for you,” they said.

“Okay, but if you expect me to remember them all, I-”

“Relax, these are easy.” Pidge smiled and then their face grew serious. “When you make it back to your time,” they began, “You must not reveal anything about the future or how you came to be here.”

Lance frowned. “Wait. You mean, I can’t even tell them where I’ve been this whole time?”

“They won’t know,” Pidge explained. “For them, it’ll be as if you never left.”

“Oh.” Lance deflated. “I can’t tell…anyone?” His gaze lingered on Keith, who met it dead on, a frown still on his lips.

“Not a soul,” Pidge instructed. “Not just for the sake of maintaining the timeline, but do you know the damage the Galran Empire could do if Lotor found out time travel was possible?”

That, Lance understood.

“Promise me,” they said and Lance nodded.

“I promise.”

“Then, I guess this is…see you later.” Pidge held a hand out.

“Or, more like, see you earlier,” Lance corrected, giving their hand a shake. “Man, my Pidge is going to be so pissed that I didn’t tell them about this.”

“I’m sure I’ll get over it.”

Lance chuckled and then turned toward Keith, unsure what to say. It had been so easy to talk to him back in his room, but now… He chewed on his lower lip. “I’ll, uh…make sure past you doesn’t chicken out this time.” It was dumb. But then Keith smiled and Lance figured he’d said the right thing.

“Enough flirting, you two,” Pidge interrupted. “Let’s get a move on.”

Lance made his way over to the pod. It looked simple enough to pilot and, when he took off, the controls handled easily enough. He just hoped he could hit Pidge’s coordinates dead on. Everyone was relying on him.

Coran and Shiro were already in position and, when Pidge gave the order, the familiar sight of a wormhole appeared just in front of Lance. A few moments later, the castle powered up and, although it was impossible to see, another wormhole appeared, just on top of the first.

 _‘Okay,’_ Pidge’s voice was in his ear. _‘Just go through and keep to the right. I’ll tell you when to breach the wall.’_

“You got it.” Lance moved forward, the voices of his teammates in his ears, cheering him on. He could do this. He had to do this.

But something happened the moment he started to push through. Alarms went off, bright red errors popping up on his screens. Something was wrong with the pod.

“Guys,” he called, but it was hard to hear them over the static and blaring sirens. “Pidge, talk to me!”

 _‘…didn’t calculate…’_ their voice came in and out over the line. _‘…Voltron…Lotor’s ship…the alloy…’_

Lance didn’t catch it all, but he understood. Just like with leaping from one reality to the next, time travel must have required the vehicle to be made of the same components as the trans-reality comet. Sure, Red hadn’t crossed over with him, but if he hadn’t been piloting her, he would not have made it through.

He tried to turn around, but it was no use. The pod wasn’t responding. He was a sitting duck and, any moment now, the wormholes would destabilize and who knew what would happen to him or where he’d end up. If he wasn’t crushed in the process.

Pidge came over the line again, garbled. But Lance heard what they said loud and clear. _‘Keith, wait!’_

Barely two ticks passed and there she was, the red lion. Keith flew her in just behind Lance.

 _‘I’ve got you,’_ he said and Lance could have wept in relief. Sure, he wasn’t going home, but maybe they could figure out how to try again later. Only…

Only Keith didn’t pull him _out_ of the wormholes. He pushed him forward.

“Keith, what are you doing?” Lance asked, panic rising in his chest.

 _‘Just giving you a hand,’_ Keith replied, steering him toward the right wall. _‘Make sure to take care of past me, okay?’_

Lance nodded, though the other couldn’t see. “You got it.”

And then, the moment his pod came in contact with the shimmering edge of the wormhole, Lance was blinded by a bright light.

 _‘Damn it, Lance!’_ he heard over the coms as he spiraled out of control. Lance fought to keep his eyes open, but it was nearly impossible. And it wasn’t until everything came to a very abrupt halt, that he managed to crack them open.

He didn’t know where he’d landed, but he knew one thing for sure: he was back in Red’s cockpit.

His helmet must have gotten knocked off when they crashed and his temple hurt from the impact. He was on his side, still half in his seat, and he could hear the muffled sounds of his team shouting over the line, too far away to make out properly.

A moment later, Red opened wide, letting in the bright light of day on whatever planet he’d landed on. Then four blurry silhouettes appeared, one much closer than the rest. He was still a little out of it and disoriented, but he distinctly felt a strong pair of arms righting him.

“What the hell?” Keith panted and Lance let his head come to rest on the other’s chest, feeling more than hearing the rapid beating of his heart. “Of all the idiotic-”

“Is he okay?” That was Pidge’s voice.

“Keith, talk to me! What happened?” And that was Shiro’s, over the coms, blaring loudly from Keith’s helmet.

“He’s all right,” Keith finally answered, his grip on Lance’s arm tightening.

“Thank goodness,” Allura sighed from somewhere behind him.

“You scared us, man,” Hunk added, all of them moving closer.

Dazed, Lance tried to push himself up, chuckling as Keith only held him tighter. “Hey, I’m not going anywhere.” He gently pat his arm and Keith, though reluctantly, let him up. “I made it.”

“Barely,” Pidge interjected. “I can’t believe Red handled that crash.”

“I can’t believe we broke apart like that.” Hunk frowned.

“Perhaps it had something to do with the wormhole…” Allura mused.

Suddenly, Lance was very aware of what had happened. He snapped out of his fog and sat up fully.

He was back in his own time. He’d done it! _They’d_ done it.

“What are you smiling about?” Keith frowned at him. “You nearly died!”

“This isn’t going to make a lot of sense right now,” Lance said, combing his fingers through Keith’s hair, already missing his little ponytail. “But…me, too.” And with that, he pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss, feeling Keith stiffen for a moment before he melted into it.

When they pulled apart, Keith had a dopey little smile on his face, which vanished the moment he blinked and furrowed his brow. “…what?”

“I hope it was worth the wait,” Lance said and, before the other could question it, he kissed him again. But this time, Keith didn’t let him pull away.

 

*~*

 

Keith was lost in thought when a pair of warm lips brushed against his cheek, pulling him from his reverie.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Lance whispered, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. But instead of answering, Keith spun around in his embrace, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “Whoa!” Lance nearly lost his balance. “What gives? I just went to the bathroom.”

“I know,” Keith mumbled against his skin. “I just.” He pulled back, lifting a hand to trace the scar on Lance’s temple before pushing his fingers through the slightly longer, unshaven part of his hair. “It’s weird but…for a moment, it was like you’d disappeared.”

At that, Lance grabbed Keith’s wrist and brought his hand to his lips, kissing each knuckle lovingly. “Hey, I’m right here,” he swore, moving to give Keith’s ponytail a playful little tug with his other hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah.” Keith smiled, pulling his hand free and snaking his arms around Lance’s neck. “You’d better not.”

At that, Lance chuckled. “I promise.” And then he kissed him and Keith forgot whatever it was that had upset him in the first place.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. I busted this thing out while huddling in my living room during the hurricane (surrounded by my entire family) It's been awhile since I've written such a long one-shot.  
> I hope you all liked it!
> 
> Please let me know what you think and hit me up on my Voltron side blog [@bleucheesy](http://bleucheesy.tumblr.com)! (main: @jubesy)


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